‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ is Pretty Much Turning Beast Into the Hulk

In the final stretch of 'X-Men: First Class,' Nicholas Hoult's Hank McCoy ended up accelerating his powerful mutation, transforming him into the hairy blue monster known to comic book fans as Beast. That's why it was so odd when Hoult started popping up in set pictures and in trailers for 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' in his human form with nary a single blue fur to be found. If you're big ol' nerds like us and want to know why this is the case, know that the film does offer an explanation ... and it feels awfully familiar.

Speaking with JoBlo, the actor explained that, between films, McCoy developed a serum that allows him to maintain his human form as long as he remains calm. This means that we'll get to see both the human and hairy versions of Hoult in the finished film. Here's his full statement:

What's happened up to this point is between the time of the last movie and this movie my character has created a serum which basically controls his mutation so his appearance is normal as long as he doesn’t get worked up. Any animal instinct or urges, that kind of brings him out. So yeah, he changes into Beast a few times throughout the story and they've done some great action sequences with him this time, particularly in the mansion flying around on these chandeliers and stuff.

A superhero who transforms into a rampaging creature when he gets angry is Hulk territory and it feels downright weird to see another established comic character try to wade into identical territory. If you want to get even geekier, it flies in the face of Beast's comic characterization. After all, the best part of Beast has always been that he's an intelligent intellectual in the body of a monster.

There are a number of potential reasons for this change. It could be because Hoult's agents wanted his actual face to be on screen. It could be because Hoult didn't want to endure that surely painful make-up every sing day. Heck, it could be the result of an attempt to shave a little money off the budget. We're not opposed to change, but this already feels like it could have been handled a little more elegantly. We already have a Hulk, guys.